Gordon Submits Final Argument

CORAL SPRINGS -- After months of debate and delay, City Commissioner Jim Gordon`s political fate now awaits the judgment of a state ethics official.

On Tuesday, Gordon`s attorney, Mike Moskowitz, submitted a 99-page closing argument in the ethics case against his client to Dean Bunch, a lawyer who is also a state ethics commissioner.

This final argument from Gordon, and the transcripts of a week of public hearings in June, will help Bunch decide whether Gordon misused his public position for private gain.

Bunch, who presided over the public hearings, will get another closing report from Craig Willis, the assistant state attorney general who is prosecuting the ethics complaint.

Willis, reached at his Tallahassee office on Tuesday, said his document, about 40 to 50 pages in all, was expected to be available this morning.

Gordon`s case summary sticks to arguments he has presented since January, when the full Commission on Ethics found probable cause to believe Gordon committed eight violations of ethics law.

``The allegations ... were contrived by his political adversaries in an effort to eliminate the generally lone dissenting, anti-establishment vote on the Coral Springs Commission,`` Moskowitz wrote.

Moskowitz recommended that Gordon should, at most, be fined only $50 to repay the city for stationery he used to promote an event for a public relations client, Nova University, in 1988. But even on this charge, Moskowitz argued against a judgment of guilt.

``It is respectfully submitted that (Gordon) should be cleared of all charges,`` the attorney wrote. Moskowitz said the evidence presented by Willis failed to prove Gordon acted with malicious intent to violate ethics law.

On charges accusing Gordon of doing public relations work for companies regulated by the city, Moskowitz wrote that there was no long-term relationship between these companies and Gordon, that the work was unrelated to city-regulated activities, and that Gordon never voted on issues involving these firms.

Moskowitz said that if these charges bring penalties, they should be minimal because Gordon cleared his activities with the City Attorney`s Office.

Officials in that office have denied giving Gordon that advice.

Gordon also was accused of using his position to pressure city employees into expediting several actions that would aid development of Royal Lands, a commercial property owned by a business associate. Moskowitz said Willis relied on hearsay and third-party accounts of Gordon`s alleged bullying tactics.

Bunch now must weigh the evidence, including testimony from several current and former city officials, and recommend a ruling on the charges.

Both sides then have 15 days to file exceptions to his ruling. After that, the Commission on Ethics will meet and then issue a final, written verdict.